We developers have become quite a toxic bunch of people to be with. We create fierce "debates" on every media we're in. Twitter, Facebook, wherever we're at.
We talk about how CSS suck (and how they don't).
We talk about Accessibility and Performance (and bitch about companies that don't do them well).
We talk about frameworks vs no-frameworks. React vs Vue vs Vanilla JavaScript. And why you SHOULD learn frameworks vs why you SHOULDN'T learn frameworks.
We also talk about how some technologies are "dead" (even though they still continue living for quite some time).
Everyone has opinions. Most of these opinions are complains. We spread anger, fear, and worry in our communications. Daily
This should stop (but it won't, because you can't control what people say or do). What you can do is take a break and ignore what everyone else has to say.
I'm pretty good at ignoring opinions
Should you learn Frameworks? Should you NOT learn frameworks?
Web Components are DEAD! CSS Sucks! React Sucks!
If you're building a course, you should make videos! Plain text is no good! People react better to videos! And there's more perceived value!
Everyone has opinions. We're entitled to our opinions. We're entitled to voice our opinions too. But they're just opinions.
They're not the truth.
I'm pretty good at ignoring opinions because I've been ignoring many of them throughout my life.
When I was still in school (I was a Business student), my peers want to work in large companies; or banks. I didn't like that, and I started to code.
Most people would think freelancing is tough and scary. You shouldn't do it until you've had a few years of experience (and good clients) under your belt. But I went ahead and started freelancing in less than a year of learning code.
I wrote my first book two years into learning code. Who the hell am I to write a book? I don't have the authority, nor experience, nor gift for writing. Most people would think this way, me too. But I wrote (and sold) it anyway.
The stunts I pulled ARE risky. I'm not denying that.
But opinions of the general public don't matter. What matters is the story we tell ourselves.
Maybe you're not in a position to do the same things I did in my younger days. That's okay. But maybe your I-can't-do-it is simply a story you tell yourself. And it might be false.
I never thought I'd be able to write a book two years into coding. I didn't have the guts to do it. I was only able to write the book after I changed my narrative (by going through a life-coaching course). I found my courage to venture into writing.
I changed the story I told myself.
You can change the story you tell yourself too. The first step is to step away from the comfort zone you created.
Stepping out of the comfort zone.
The best way to step outside of your comfort zone is to try something new. Something you never thought you would do.
Some stuff I did that I never thought I'd do:
- Marketing (had to learn because I need to sell my courses).
- Healing (wanted to learn because I got so tired of feeling tired and listless all the time). And boy, this work is rewarding and fun! Maybe I can work on you if we ever get a chance to meet. It'll be interesting.
- Just picked up my dusty Guitar which I left untouched for ten years (because I realized I still want to learn to play the Guitar).
Also, this May, I'm going on a course on Shamanism.
These extra things I do expanded my worldview considerably. As I step away from the tech-bubble I created, I realized the world has much more to offer than I thought.
Coding isn't everything.
You don't have to code. Heck, you don't even have to design or have anything to do with the online-world if you choose to. People are surviving (thriving, even) in areas you can't imagine.
So there's no fixed-approach to life. Nobody has the answers.
You can choose to code. But none of the fierce debate matters.
What matters is the life you want to lead.
- What do you want to do?
- How do you want to live?
- Who do you want to be?
- What do you want to be concerned with?
- Who do you want to help?
- What problems do you want to take on?
Maybe it's time to step aside and take a breather. Dig deep and answer those questions. Take another breather every few months and look at your answers again. It'll change.
Maybe something will call for you, and maybe it's not related to web development. But off you go. Have fun and enjoy.
Thanks for reading. This article was originally posted on my blog. Sign up for my newsletter if you want more articles to help you become a better frontend developer.
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